Mildewstatic laundry sour basf

ABSTRACT

A MILDEWSTATIC LAUNDRY SOUR WHEREIN PARA-HALO-METAXYLENOL AND ZINC SILICOFLUORIDE ARE THE ACTIVE INGREDIENTS IS DISCLOSED.

United States Patent O 3,729,422 MILDEWSTATIC LAUNDRY SOUR William Lozo, Trenton, Mich., assignor to BASF Wyandotte Corporation, Wyandotte, Mich. NoDrawing. Filed Mar. 22, 1971, Ser. No. 127,040 Int. Cl. Clld 3/48 U.S. Cl. 252-106 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mildewstatic laundry sour wherein para-halo-metaxylenol and zinc silicofluoride are the active ingredients is disclosed.

BACKGROUND (1) Field of the invention This invention relates to laundry sours and more particularly to laundry sours having mildewstatic qualities.

(2) Description of the prior art One of the main functions of a laundry sour is to neutralize excess alkalinity remaining in the freshly laundered garment so as to reduce skin irritation by the wearer of the garment. It is also known at this finishing step to add other things to the laundry sour such as dyes and perfumes to enhance the aesthetic effect of the laundered goods. U.S. Pat. 3,193,505 granted July 6, 1955, proposes that a synergistic mixture of sodium pentachlorophenate and 3,4,4'-trichlorocarbanilide be added to the laundry sour so as to promote antimicrobial properties. This patent also shows that it has been known in the art to use as laundry sour sodium silicofluoride and zinc silicofluoride. Another U.S. Pat. 2,684,946, granted July 27, 1954, discloses a combination of p-ch'loro-m-cresol and p-chlorxylenol as having anti-bacterial activity. It is also well known in the biological arts that compounds and compositions having activity against one class of materials or organisms such as bacteria often are not effective against the next class of organisms such as fungus, mildew, or virus.

It is often desirable in the laundry trade to impart mildew resisting characteristics to finish laundry goods and this has typically been accomplished by the use of organomercury compounds during the souring operation. But, as it is well known these oragnomercury compounds are very toxic and hence have to be used very carefully. Use of the finished laundry product treated with the organomercury compound is also restricted. Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a mildewstatic agent for laundry sours which is free of the objectionable mercury. This and other objects will become readily apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading of the following specification and examples.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with this invention, there is provided a mildewstatic laundry sour wherein the effective active ingredients are comprised of para-bromo-meta-xylenol or para-chloro-meta-xylenol and zinc silicofluoride.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The mildewstatic laundry sour of this invention contains as effective ingredients, para-chloro-meta-xylenol or para-bromo-meta-xylenol and zinc silicofluoride and preferably these materials are in combination with other compositions well known and acceptable in the laundry art to improve the physical handling characteristics of the invented composition. Typical of these materials are dilucuts or extenders such as sodium sulfate which reduces the criticality of measuring out the exact amount of mildewstatic laundry sour to be used, while at the same ICC time the sodium sulfate has no deleterious effect On the laundered garment.

It has also been found certain mildewstatic laundry sours comprising the composition of this invention in powdered or pellet form tend to be dusty and thus slightly inconvenient to handle. To overcome this, a small amount of an aliphatic hydrocarbon oil can be added to the mixture. Usually, one weight percent or less of oil eliminates any dusting. Since the oil is present in such a small amount and takes no part in the neutralizing or mildewstatic action, any good light viscosity hydrocarbon oil may be used. Examples of such oils are Carnation Oil, manufactured by L. Sonneborn Sons, Inc., having a specific gravity at 60 F. of 0.835/08.45 and flash point of 355 F., and Base Oil No. 2 manufactured by Phillips Petroleum Company, having a specific gravity at 60 F. of 0.75 and a 210 F. flash point.

The effective active ingredients of this invented laundry sour are well known items of commerce, hence further description thereof is not needed. However, since parachl'oro-meta-xylenol is known by several names depending upon which system of organic chemical nomenclature is employed, it may be convenient to point out that this compound can be prepared by the process disclosed in U.S. Pat. 2,350,677 granted June 6, 1944 on an application by G. W. Gladden.

The results of this invention are particularly surprising in view of the fact that a very closely related laundry sour, sodium silicofluoride, when substituted for the zinc silicofluoride in the same amount fails to produce the mildewstatic effect of this invention. It has been found that optimal results are obtained when the para-halo-metaxylenol is used at the rate of 1 part for each 8 parts of zinc silicofluoride. However, occasionally in the laundering of articles it will be desirable to modify the laundry sour in order to accommodate peculiar local conditions. It has been found that the benefits of this invention are still retained when the ratio of para-chloro-meta-xylenol or para-bromo-meta-xylenol to Zinc silicofluoride is between about 1:7.1 to about 1:97 parts by weight.

The following examples are included to illustrate the preparation of the composition of the present invention but are not to be considered limiting. Unless otherwise specified all parts are by weight and all temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit.

EXAMPLE I A mildewstatic laundry sour was prepared by blending 8.25 parts of para-chloro-meta-xylenol (technical grade) with 66.0 parts of zinc silicofluoride. Thereafter 25.5 parts of sodium sulfate was blended into the mixture followed by 0.25 part of a dust laying amount of hydrocarbon mineral oil.

EXAMPLE II Following the procedure of Example I, a mildewstatic laundry sour was prepared except that sodium silicofluoride was substituted for the zinc silicofluoride of Example 1.

EXAMPLE III A mildewstatic laundry sour was prepared following the procedures and using the ingredients of Example I except that 60% of the Zinc silicofluoride was substituted with sodium silicofluoride.

EXAMPLE IV Cotton fabric was treated with 1%. ounces of the indicated mildewstatic laundry sour for each pounds of fabric and tested for effectiveness in inhibiting the growth of mildew or organisms according to the American Association of Textile Chemist and Colorist test method No. AATCC 30-1957T. In this test the amount of mildew growth is rated on a scale of to 4, 0 being no growth, 4 being the highest amount of growth and i indicating a slight non-measurable amount of growth.

Mildrew growth versus O. globosum alter- A. niger after- 9 days 15 days 9 days 15 days 1 2 2 2 =l=/:t= =|=/2 4 4 4/4 o/o 0 /0 2/3 2/3 0/0 0/0 4/3 4 3 2/2 3/2 Commercial mildewstat laundry sour within the scope of U.S. Patent 3,193,505 2/2 3/3 0/0 0/0 In a similar manner to Example I an effective mildewstatic laundry sour is prepared by combining 7 parts of para-bromo-meta-xylenol with 66.5 parts of zinc silicofluoride, thereafter extending the mildewstatic sour composition with 26.25 parts of sodium sulfate and laying the dust with 0.25 part of dust laying hydrocarbon minera oil.

As previously pointed out, the amount of extender and dust laying oil present in the mildewstatic laundry sour composition is entirely a matter of choice depending upon extraneous factors and matters of choice which have no real effect upon the operation and composition of this invention. Thus in situations where there is apt to be a large waste of mildewstatic laundry sour composition due to poor handling or weighing techniques additional amounts of extender will be used so as to reduce the loss of the operative ingredients of the invented composition.

The amount of mildewstatic lanudry sour composition of this invention employed in the treatment of fabric will vary depending upon the mildew present and excess alkalinity to be neutralized. The optimum amount can be quickly determined by those skilled in the art from easily conducted routine tests. Generally, the amount of the para-halo-meta-xylenol/zinc silicofluoride combination employed will be in an amount from about 0.5 to about 3 ounces per hundredweight of fabric. The foregoing amount, of course, will be proportionately adjusted depending upon the amount of extender also utilized in formulating the laundry sour.

The fabrics, which are to be treated in accordance with the method of this invention, should be in contact with 4 the mildewstatic laundry sour or mixture for about 3 to about 15 minutes. Although the time of treatment is not critical, it should be of sufiicient duration to insure ample opportunity for all the fabric to come into contact with the mildewstatic laundry sour. For effective results, the mixture should be employed in an aqueous media which is at a temperature from about 50 F. to about F.

The foregoing examples and methods have been described in the foregoing specification for the purpose of illustration and not limitation. Many other modifications and ramifications will naturally suggest themselves to those skilled in the art based on this disclosure. These are intended to be comprehended as within the scope of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, What is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A mildewstatic laundry sour consisting essentially of zinc silicofluoride and para-chloro-meta-xylenol or para-bromo-meta-xylenol wherein said xylenol is present in a weight ratio with respect to zinc silicofluoride compound of from about 1:7.1 parts to about 119.7 parts.

2. The composition according to claim 1 wherein said xylenol compound is para-chloro-meta-xylenol.

3. The composition according to claim 1 wherein said xylenol compound is para-bromo-meta-xylenol.

4. The method of inhibiting mildewing of laundry fabrics comprising applying to the fabric during the souring step of laundering the composition of claim 1 in an amount of from about 0.5 to about 3 ounces per hundredweight of fabric.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,193,505 7/1965 Blomfield 252-136 1,953,413 4/ 1934 Klarmann 424-347 2,085,318 6/1937 Klarmann 424-347 2,801,201 7/1957 Kipnis 424-347 2,517,076 8/1950 Bacon et al. 424-152 2,010,443 8/1935 Sibley 424-152 2,468,068 4/ 1949 Horsey 117-1385 2,110,074 3/ 1938 Arnold 252-106 X 2,403,945 7/1946 Musser 117-1385 2,241,580 5/1941 Bishop 8-137 1,618,416 2/ 1927 Fairbrother et al. 117-1385 2,292,423 8/1942 Yohe 117-1385 2,486,961 11/1949 Meyer 117-1385 FOREIGN PATENTS 642,248 8/ 1950 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES The Condensed Chem. Dict., seventh ed., Rheinhold Publishing Co., 1966, N.Y., p. 221.

HERBERT B. GUYNN, Primary Examiner P. E. WILLIS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

